US978451A - Extracting juice from sugar-cane or sugar-beet. - Google Patents

Description

J. J. HUMANS. EXTRAGTING JUICE PROM SUGAR CANE 0R SUGAR BERT APPLIOATIOII FILED 001. 26, 1900.

978,45 1 Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

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H O N: E:

a LL I l I l I I WITNESSES! INVENTOR mm; 94/QLJ JacosusJ gnauuEs HUMANS,

' ATTORNEY.

J. J. HUMANS.

EXTRACTING JUICE FROM SUGAR CANE 0R SUGAR BEET.

APPLIUATION FILED OCT. 26, 1909. 978,451 Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

2 SHBBTS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR Jmosus \g9HANNES)*\OM/\NS ATTORNEY,

WITNESSES:

JACOBUS J. HOMANS, OF SAMARANG, JAVA.

EXTRACTING JUICE FROM SUGAR-CANE 013. SUGAR-BEET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 26, 1909.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910. Serial No. 524,672.

, To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOBUS Joinmnns IIUMAX s, a subject of the Queen of the Netherlands, and I'GSlCllll" at Samarang, county of Samarang, Isle of Java, have invented a 7 new and useful Improvement in Extracting Juicefrom Sugar-Cane or Sugar-Beet; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full. clear-,and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to processes for extraction of sugar-juice (the raw juice or sap) from sugar-producing vegetable material. such as sugar-cane and sugar-beet.

The process which I have invented coniprises, for the best practice thereof, and in the most complete form, the following steps: heating sugar-cane or sugarbeet (preferably, in shredded 'or other finely-divided state) before any initial squeezing or crushing of said vegetable substance, sutliciently to kill the cells and to cause coagulation of the albumen, and preferably by soaking said vegetable material in hot liquid (for instance, hot sugar-juice) which is delivered from a following extraction, and moving 7 in a direction opposite that of the vegetable material: then, after the first squeezing, lnaccrating the bagasse (pulp) or soaking the same-01" bothwith heated sugar-juice, or other heated liquid, to dilute retained sugar-juice; then again squeezing said saturated bagasse, and repeating the addition of heated liquid to squeezed bagasse, and

then squeezing the latter, as often as desired, until the bagasse is p'actically free of all sugar-juice. In every case where hot liquor is added to the bagasse. I prefer that it shall be in quantity suflieient to soak the bagasse and that it shall move therethrough in a direction opposite that of the move- The bagasse is continuously (repeatedly) heated during the juice-extracting operations, but the temperature is insufficient and of too short a duration to dissolve or separate out the pectin and xylan. or other fiber substances,

which are consequently retained by and discharged with the bagasse. Owing to the retention, in the bagasse, of the mentioned substances, the sugar-juice is quite clear, being in fact much clearer than that resulting from the mill process (which squeezes out the albumen, pectin and color-i ing mattersffrom the sugar-cane or sugarbeet), and is in' fact as clear as, but of suiting from clarifying sugar-juice) so that such scum may be freed of sugar-juice, and the scum precipitates afterward burned with the bagasse. It is well known that the scum from the clarification process retains large quantities of sugar-juice, and the,

latter has usually been recovered by an expensive process, including repeated filtering.

One novelty of my process consists in adding scum (still containing the. recoverable sugar-juice) to squeezed bagasse, causing the latter to become imbibed with the scum, and the bagasse is then squeezed, with the result of driving the scum precipitates into (or incorporating it with) the bagasse, and the squeezing out and recovery of the sugar-juice previously held by-the scum.

The results of my process are, therefore, (1) maximum quantities of clear sugarjuice, and (2) bagasse or pulp containing all fuel or fodder substances and more completely than, heretofore relieved of sugar-' juice. 7

The accompanying drawing, which is partly diagrammatic and also shows sections of the roller mills employed, illustrates a plant for extracting juice according to my present invention. Said plant utilizes four two-roller mills, a form of mill invented by me and found to have great advantages as compared with'the threeroller mills heretofore usually employed. I have also found that, for crushing a given amount of cane (with extraction of practically alike amount of juice) in each case, the two-roller mill plant requires about half the steam usually taken by a three-roller mill plant. There is also, with the'new arrangement, much less liability to breakage of the parts. In point of speed, also, I have found that the two-roller mills allow 1 (as compared with three-roller mills) twice 7 as many (or more) revolutions in a given time, with a corresponding increase in the rollers and have,.as shown in the drawings, the feed and head-rollers relatively disposed as in three-roller mills heretofore employed."

In the drawing, I have shown the first mill, A, with feed-roller a and head-roller a a second mill,- A, with feed-roller a and head-roller a arthird IIllll, AZ'with' feed-roller a and head-roller a and a.

fourth mill, A with feed-roller a and head-roller, a

B indicates any suitable 'form of hopper or intake for sugar-cane after it has left a cane crusher, or a cane cutter or shredder. This crushed or'finely-divided material falls down the inclined perforated plate, C, and into a box or tank X, the bottom of which is formedby or is'in contact with a heating com- I I partment h. The finely-divided cane (chips,

' employed in the diffusion process.

or other form) is subjected, in saidpan or tank X, to a heat sufficient to kill the cells and to cause the albumen to coagulate. That desirable result will be attained by heating the chips or adding to the chips, or flooding the same with, heated sugar-juice or' other heated liquor, and by keeping the mass, by the aid of the heating compartment h, at about 75 C., the temperature ordinarily killing the protoplasm in the cells, the cellwalls become pervious, and the juice easily leaves the cells, without the breaking of the walls, by the heavy pressure in the mills, of many more cells previously opened by the,cutter or the shredder. The coloring matter, the albumen, the pectin and xylan remai n in the cells, thus yielding a juice contalnlng considerably less of the impurities than in the juice obtained by the usual extraction processes.

'lhere are several ways to heat the cane, or the divided cane, for instance, by hot sugar-juice, by hot water,-by steam, air or gases; the most economical method is by the supplying of hot sugar-juice, and in a macerating apparatus, as herein described.

If there is hot wastew'ater in the factory,

the cane or beet may be heated and cleaned with said water before any dividing or crushing of the cane or beet. Excess of heated liquidsupplied to tank X will drain through the perforations of plate C, and will then, by pipe K, enter tank E. From this tank, the juice is taken for any further treatment desired; for instance, it may have lime added thereto, and thereafter be subjected to a clarification treatment, such as that set forth in my co-pending application, Serial No. 522319, filed October 12, 1909. The finely divided cane is. as fast as supplied to tank X, drawn therethrough by a chain-like couveyer D, which may have rakes or perforated plates, and said conveyer then draws,

the cane to the first (A) of the two-roller mills; the rolls a and a squeeze juice from the cane, and pass the bagasse to an inclined a heating compartment h.

perforated plate 0. Juice squeezed out by this mill includes that supplied by pipe J and retained by the chips, as well as a-large quantity of the original sugar-juice of the cane; it falls from in front of the feedrollers a int-0a basin F, drains from thence to a trough G, and is led by' the latter into a second tank,E A pump forces juice from said tank, by way of pipes t and T through a heater H and pipe J, to heat the chips in; tank As the bagasse leaves'the- 'mill A and passes over theperforated plate C it is macerated by the addition of hot liquor deliveredthrough' a pipe, L. 'The bagasse having been squeezed quite dry, readily imbibe's the hotliquid poured thereon, and then falls easily into juice in another box or tank, X ,the slightly-inclined bottom of which is formed by or is in contact with A chain conveyer D having rakes or perforated plates,

draws the bagasse through said tank, and

upwardlyf-along an inclined pathtoward the second mill, A The chain should be about ten inches above the bottom of the tank, so as to draw the swollen bagasse with-v out pressure thereon. The juice squeezed out by the second mill (A falls into .a basin F thence to troughG and into tank E from this tank, it is forced by pump S byway of pipes i and T into heater H wherein the juice is heated (preferably to 100 0.). This hot juice may then'be delivered by pipe Las before statedfor maceration purposes, and also by a pipe J into the bagasse-storing tank, X at a point near to that whereat the bagasse is drawn.

from the tank by the chain-conveyer. The hot juice, as delivered by said pipe J flows through the bagassein a direction opposite the movement of the latter-exhausting the ba'gasse, an'd finally the unabsorbed juice passes out through'the perforations of the plate C and then, by way of pipe K the juice is discharged to be received in tank E The pipe K is located a little lower than the horizontal part of the chain-conveyer, so that the level of tliejuice intank X is a little below that conveyer. As will be seen, the apparatus is covered by heating protection, having only the necessary openings for the entrance and discharge of the I bagasse. The bagasse squeezed by the second mill (A falls upon an inclined perforated plate C and is there macerated by the adforated plates) draws the ba gasse through said tank X without exerting pressure thereon. Juice squeezed out by mill A (the .by pipe L 'as before stated for maceration purposes. Hot water (as much as the usual quantity for maceration of the bagasse) 1s supplied, by a pipe J into the bagasse-storing tank X at a point near to that whereat the bagasse is drawn from the tank by the chain-com'eycr. Said .supplied hot water flows through the bagassein a direction opposite the movement of the latterexhausting the bagasse, and finally the unabsorbed liquor passes out through the perforations of the late C and afterward, by way of pipe K 1s discharged to be received in tank E Pipe K is located a little lower than the horizontal part of chain-conveyer D to keep the level of liquid in tank X a little below that conveyor. Bagasse discharged from the third mill (A falls upon an inclined plate 0 and is delivered thereby to the upper side of a bagasse-conveyer D, and, by the latter, carried to the last mill A; it then -passes between the feed-roller, a, and the head-roller, a to a plate C, and from the apparatus. J uicc squeezed out by mill A falls into basin F, and by trough Gr and a pipe N, is led to the tank E.

)Vhenever desired (for instance, when the apparatus is to be started up) hot water may be supplied by one or more of the tanks E,

E E, through the corresponding faucet or faucets of those lettered m, w m

It will be obvious that the oftener the bagasse is macerated, the more thoroughly it will be exhausted of sugar-juice.

)Vhen there is a maceration between the third and last mills, it is preferable that the last mill be a three-roller mill, as a tworoller mill (or a three-roller mill for which the bagasse -roller, has been omitted) may not sufficiently express the juice from and dry the bagasse.

Resuming, I- describe the process as follows: The finely divided material is heated to a temperature above 60 Cels. sufiicient to kill the cells, while moving to a squeezing operation, preferably by thoroughly soak. and maceratin said material in hot and di uted juice, de ivered from succeeding squeezing and macerating operations, flowing in a direction opposite to that of.sa1d material, while excess of juice leaves for the clarification process, and is then squeezed. These macerating and squeezing operations, while excess of uice leaves for thoroughly soaking and macerating the material before each preceding squeezing operation, are repeated as practicable as possible. Finally the'squeezed material is imbibed with the most diluted juicedelivered from the last squeezing operation and then, while moving to the last squeezing, thoroughly soaked and macerated with water, flowing in a direction opposite to that of said material, while ex cess of diluted juice leaves for soaking and maceratin the material before the preceding squeezingand is then finally squeezed in a required dry condition.

The drawing and the foregoing descrip-' tion make clear how the juice from all macerators and mills finally enters in the first macerator between the cane divider and -multiple of these. yet my process may be practiced by the aid of any usual mills.

Another advantage which I have found resultingfrom my invention of hot maceration of bagasse, is that scum from a defecation process may be maccrated upon the bagassc and the precipitates-pf the scum incorporated therewith. l have found that when such scum is macerated upon bagasse. and the mass is heated to a temperature not lower than the cracking-point" (94 C.- C.) of the defecating process. and then pressed, while at about said temperature, the precipitates of the scum remain in the bagasse and clear juice flows from the latter. If the mentioned temperature is not substantially maintained. the precipitates of the scum do not completely incorporate with the bagassc. Avallmg myself of this disco\'-' scum, heat the bagasse (by steam. gases or hot uice) to the desired temperature. and

thereafter taking care that, during the squeezing, the temperature does not fall below that of the said cracking point Under such circumstances, juice is scparatml from the scum, and the latter is incorporated in the bagasse. It is useful to render the scum or sap alkaline with a small quantity of lime before adding to the squeezed material. I des'ire it to be understood that the temperature of the mass (pulp or bagasse containing scum or the incorporated precipitates) must be maintained, prior to or during'each squeezing. not lower than that. of said cracking point of the defecation process. Another method for accomplishing this desirable result, will be to take some (say 1/10) of the bagasse from the last mil].

and to macerate with scum, heat and press, extracting, by a press, for mstance an hydraulic press ora small mill, maintaining the temperature, during the extraction, not

lower than that of the cracking'point of the defecation process. The squeezed bagasse may be repeatedly used in this way, asit has the property of holding a great quantity of precipitates from scum. The second method is less advantageous, requiring separate machines and additional laborers, and some sugar is lost in the bagasse. Also extrajfuel is required to bring the bagasse to the desired temperature. Scum from the carbonation or any other clarification process may usually 'be macerated upon the bagasse and clarified in the same way, but preferably at a temperature not lower than about 94 C.95 C.

,I desire it to be understood that when'I use the word scum in this specification and claims, I- mean thereby all muddy residue separated from the sugar-juice.

The apparatus herein described, and shown in the drawings, constitutes the subject-matter of an application, Serial No. 544319, filed February 16, 1910, as a division of this application.

IVhile hereinbefore I have especially mentioned sugar-cane,I desire it to be under-, stood that the process and, steps are also useful in extraction of= sugar-juice from sugarbeets, and in clarifying scum from such sugar-juice on pulp or bagasse.

What I claim is:

1. In the extraction of juice from sugarproducing, vegetable material, the process which consists insqueezing said material,

then adding thereto scum separated from sugar-juice, heating the mass to a temperature not lower than that of the cracking point of the defecation process, and, while still maintaining the mass at said temperature, squeezing the mass for'extraction of uice and tolncorporate precipitates vof the added scum with the squeezed material,

2. In the extraction of juice from sugarproducing vegetable material, the process which. consists in squeezing said material,-

then adding thereto scum separated from sugar-juice, thoroughly soaking saidmaterial, while maintaining the whole at a temperature not lower than that of the crack-.

ing point of the defecation process,v with liquid flowing through said material, and,

while still maintaining the mass at said temperature, squeezing themass for extraction of juice and to incorporate precipitates of the added scum with the squeezed material,

3. In the extraction of juice fromvsugarproducing Vegetable material, the process which consists in squeezing said material,

then while moving the material toward 'an-.

other squeezing, adding thereto scum separated'from sugar-juice, thoroughly soaking said'material, while maintaining the whole at a temperature not lower than that of them cracking point of the defecation process,

said temperature, subjecting the same to the second-mentioned squeezing, for extraction of juice and to incorporate precipitates of the added scum withthe material.

4. In the extraction of juice from sugarproducing vegetable material, the process which consists in squeezing said material, then adding thereto scum separated from sugar-juice, heatingthe mass to a temperature not lower than that of the cracking point of the defecation process and squeezing the mass for extraction of juice and to incorporate precipitates of the added scum with the squeezed material, and thereafter adding to said mass water and'again 'squeezing the mass while' maintaining the mass at sald'temperature;

5. In the extraction of juice from sugar producing vegetable material, the process which consists in squeezing said material,

then adding thereto scum separated from sugar-juice, heating the mass to a temperature '.not lower than that of the cracking point of the defecation'process and squeez-' ing the mass forextraction of juice and to incorporate precipitates, of the added scum with the squeezed material, and thereafter adding to said mass diluted juice from following squeezings, and thereafter squeezing the mass, then addin to the mass water and again squeezing, whi e maintaining the mass during the last-mentioned squeezings at said temperature. I Y

6. Inthe'extraction of juice from sugarproducing vegetable material, the step which consists in squeezing a mixture of previously-squeezed material and scum separated from sugar-juice, While maintaining the'temperature of the mass not lower than a that of the cracking point of the defecation process, forextraction of juice and to incorporate precipitates of the added scum with the'squeezed material. I

Intestimonywhereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J. J-. HoMANs.

Witnesses-z W. H. BERRIGAN, JOHN H. HOVING.

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